Implanted venous access ports generally have a self-sealing septum through which a preferably non-coring needle pierces. The septum seals around the non-coring needle being inserted into such an implanted venous access port to ensure that intravenous solution, being administered, does not leak into surrounding tissues. The instant invention is designed to provide protection to healthcare workers and patients from an inadvertent and potentially fatal encounter with a sharpened, blood or other bodily fluid covered tip of a needle when being retracted from the implanted venous port, as well as during disposal post-removal. Further, the instant invention preferably employs a non-coring needle for further patient protection. Examples of U.S. Patents which Applicants consider to be relevant, but do not teach or suggest devices or methods associated with the instant invention are provided hereafter:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,537 issued Nov. 27, 2001, to Joseph J. Chang and titled SAFETY INTRAVENOUS CATHETER discloses a medical IV catheter which comprises a needle cannula having distal point, a proximal end and further having a shaft with a circumference and a tip protector which is slideably mounted on the needle. In FIG. 1, the needle is taught to be protected by a short tip protector device which is limited in movement by a bulging portion of the needle. In another embodiment, the needle is drawn proximally to a catch also associated with a bulge on the needle. In both cases, the needle is linear in form.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,021 issued Mar. 12, 2002 to Jan Willum Nielson, et al. and titled MEDICAL PUNCTURING DEVICE discloses a medical puncturing device comprising a rigid needle being at one end adapted for facilitating the puncturing and comprising at the opposite end a hub, the hub comprising a handle part and a shield which is pivotal in relation to the handle part and further comprising a locking means on the shield and handle. A straight puncturing needle is retracted from an inserted catheter through a self-sealing septum and then bent into a safety cavity to ensure an unintended harmful injury is avoided. In particular, this device is used to insert a catheter into a patient fluid pathway.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,983 issued Dec. 9, 2003 to Jamieson William Maclena Cawford, et al. and titled NEEDLE ASSEMBLY discloses an automatically shieldable blood collection set. The set includes a needle assembly having a hub to which a needle cannula is fixedly attached. The needle hub includes a fin formed with a latch. A safety shield is telescoped relative to the hub and the needle cannula is moved from a proximal position where the needle cannula is exposed to a distal position where the cannula is shielded. The latch on the fin releasably engages the shield when the shield is in the proximal position. A spring is provided between the shield and hub to propel the shield distally relative to the hub and into surrounding relationship with the needle cannula in response to movement of the latch. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the action of the shield is a straight path, with the shield being actuated by a spring being advance to provide protection about the needle tip.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,136 (136) issued Apr. 12, 2005 to Michael T. Fleury, et al. and titled HUBER NEEDLE WITH ANTI-REBOUND SAFETY MECHANISM discloses a safety needle device for a huber needle. The device includes a needle housing having a distal housing opening, an arcuate groove extends within the needle housing terminating adjacent a distal housing opening. The needle is disclosed to have an arcuate shape, seen best in FIG. 7A. A shield disposed about the needle (see FIG. 3) is advanced (see FIGS. 1 and 2) to provide a shield for the needle tip.